There are countless places in this country that are inhospitable to development. But New Jersey can't abandon its coastline any more than Nevada can abandon the desert or New York can abandon low-lying neighborhoods in Manhattan.

As rebuilding continues after Hurricane Sandy, there are two things of which we can be certain. First, that Americans will respond with generosity toward those affected. And second, that only part of their response will have the intended impact.

The recent superstorm, Sandy, has devastated large parts of our city and while we must continue to help those neighborhoods still in need, we also must begin to figure out how we move forward to avoid this large-scale suffering again.